The diagnosis of shoulder instability may be determined by the patient's history. The examination has been used to determine the direction and extent of the instability. Whether or not the shoulder examination can be used to diagnose shoulder instability is yet to be determined 100 symptomatic shoulders were examined for 23 clinical signs. These signs included wasting, tenderness, and range of motion, strength, laxity and specific tests for impingement, supraspinatus dysfunction and SLAP lesions. All patients had an examination under anaesthesia and arthroscopy to determine the cause of their symptoms. 54 were found to be unstable, 10 had isolated SLAP lesions and 36 were symptomatic from other pathologies. The examination findings were compared to determine if a significant difference existed between the three groups for the examinations. Where a significant difference was found the sensitivity and specificity of the test was determined. Unstable shoulders were found to have a significantly greater range of internal rotation and a higher incidence of laxity when compared to the stable and SLAP groups. Unstable shoulders were found to have a significantly lower incidence of decreased strength, and a lower incidence of positive impingement and O'Brien's tests. Shoulder examination is therefore a useful component of the diagnosis of a shoulder that is potentially unstable (2000 Pre-Olympic Congress, Sports Medicine and Physical Education, International Congress on Sport Science, 7-13 September - Brisbane, Australia 2000)
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